(About the Series: Based upon my Conversation with guest Derek Meinecke, I’m going back in time to be in the stands at 10 sporting events. This week, it’s #4. You’re able to find links to the previous installments below.)
On April 8, 1974, I would have been a 6-year-old first grader in Mrs. Harpring’s class at Decatur, IN, Northwest Elementary School. I’m fairly certain I was still a couple months away from playing my first (semi) competitive baseball and I don’t recall any sense of awareness of what Hank Aaron accomplished that night.
That changed in short order, however.
As my sports fandom expanded beyond my father’s love of the Chicago Cubs and the Indiana Hoosiers, I became aware of what Aaron had done that night in Atlanta Stadium.
To witness this history – and the historical circumstances surrounding it – is why I’d like to go back in time to be in the stadium to see Aaron eclipse Babe Ruth‘s then-career home run record.
I remember seeing the highlights of Aaron’s 4th inning laser to left field off Al Downing and hearing the iconic call of Braves’ broadcaster Milo Hamilton.
“He’s sitting on 714 …”
Milo Hamilton
I believe I remember Hamilton’s call most specifically because I was later fascinated by the fact that he was a broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs on WGN with Jack Brickhouse. Call it naivete or just stupidity, but the youngster in me didn’t understand why a broadcaster would work for two different franchises.
Today, of course, it makes sense.
I’ve also grown to appreciate the history that was present on the field during this game.
To wit:
- Not only did Aaron eclipse Ruth’s all-time home run record, he also passed Willie Mays‘ National League runs scored mark (then the 2,063 of his career) when he scored on Dusty Baker‘s double in the second inning.
- And speaking of Baker, there were three future MLB managers who played in the game: Baker, Davey Johnson, and Johnny Oates. They combined to win 4,352 career games and two World Series Championships.
- In the crowd that evening was a future U.S. President – then Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter – as well as Sammy Davis Jr., and the evening’s National Anthem singer, Pearl Bailey. (Interestingly, Davis and Bailey died three months apart in 1990.)
- Beyond Aaron, at the game this night were a pair of other future Baseball Hall of Fame pitchers, Don Sutton with the Dodgers and Phil Niekro with the Braves.
- Four players from this game were better known for other things:
- Downing, of course, is one of just 15 black pitchers in MLB history to have won 20 games. Mudcat Grant dubbed the group the Black Aces.
- Later this season, Tommy John injured his left elbow and had surgery that later became known as Tommy John Sugery. He missed the entire 1975 season, but pitched 14 more seasons after recovering.
- Bill Buckner wound up hitting .289 lifetime for five different clubs, but his most famous moment, er infamous, occurred during the 1986 World Series when his error at first base allowed the New York Mets to force a deciding Game 7 in which the Mets won.
- The Braves starter, and winning pitcher, was Ron Reed who in the mid-1960s played 119 games for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.
- And, lest we forget, the intrepid reporter that was on the field almost immediately in an effort to grab some audio from Hammerin’ Hank. A fella named Craig Sager who went onto sartorial splendor with TBS and TNT.
From left, Aaron is greeted at homeplate by his teammates. Note the man in the beige overcoat, that’s Craig Sager, more visible in the upper right photo. Fans escorted Aaron from second base home following his HR.
Looking back at it, the game oozed with history and future history-making figures. Among them, certainly, was Los Angeles Dodgers’ broadcaster Vin Scully who was on the mike that night as well. His call, found below, has become one of my favorite calls in history (right up there with Al Michaels’, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”) Like he often did, Scully let the moment breathe and then provided the historical context of the moment: A black man, a black pitcher, the fact the game was being played in the Deep South.
It is brilliant!
Of course, if I was sitting in the bleachers I wouldn’t be able to hear any of it, but that’d be alright with me. Just to be in the building would be special.
Previous Installments
- Number 10 – 1972 NLCS Game 5
- Number 9 – 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics
- Number 8 – 2007 One Hall of a Trip
- Number 7 – 1973 Secretariat’s Triple Crown Run
- Number 6 – 1980 Wimbledon Final Borg-McEnroe
- Number 5 – 1986 Jack Nicklaus’ Final Masters’ Win